BOTTOM LINE
Nowhere Near Even Thandel’s Level
RATING
2/5
PLATFORM – Runtime
Prime Video ~ 4 hours 37 minutes (8 episodes)
What Is the Show About?
Badri is a fisherman from Andhra Pradesh who is burdened by debt and dreams of a better life with his childhood love, Ganga. He leaves his village to find work in Gujarat. But his hopes are crushed when his boat accidentally crosses into Pakistani waters. He and his crew are captured and placed behind bars. Ganga, back home, tries to bring them back.
Performances
Satyadev and Anandhi deliver impressive performances. Their sincere efforts infuse some life into an otherwise disappointing drama. They do their best with the material they’re given, especially in the emotional moments. The supporting cast, too, doesn’t disappoint. Kota Jayaram makes the most of a meaty role, and young sensation Harsh Roshan does a neat job. Surabhi Prabhavati shines, though biggies like Nasser and Dalip Tahil struggle to make an impact.
Analysis
A story, inspired by true incidents, about fishermen from Andhra Pradesh being trapped in Pakistan and the fight for their release is a powerful and emotional idea. It’s no secret that the same premise yielded decent results with Thandel earlier this year, but Arabia Kadali doesn’t live up to its potential and struggles to use its source material efficiently.
The show had the chance to be a truly moving and intense survival drama, but instead, it falls into the trap of using old and predictable story elements. The show, directed by V.V. Surya Kumar and created by Krish Jagarlamudi, tries to tell a story of courage and strength, but it is more of a missed opportunity.
The biggest problem with Arabia Kadali is the character establishment. It fails to create people we can truly care about or relationships that feel real. The love story between Badri and Ganga, supposed to be the soul of the show, feels empty and rushed. Now and then, the flashback scenes try to show us how deep their love is, only for a vain cause.
The supposed villains – the cops and army officers in Pakistan – are also very caricaturish and don’t feel like real people; they’re just hostile characters to make us sympathise with Badri and his crew’s plight. The show uses lazy, old-fashioned ideas, milking the delicate political tensions between India and Pakistan and fails to build any genuine drama.
Unlike Thandel, which was about the love story as much as the crew’s survival in the jail, Arabia Kadali is a monotonous prison drama that barely gets going. As the story moves forward, Badri and his crew face more and more problems, but the show never really catches your attention; everything looks superficial and staged.
The detailing is consistently poor. The hostility from the Pakistani characters is in place just to provoke the audience, not because it’s part of a believable story. While it occasionally makes an effort to include a few ‘good people’ on the other side, this doesn’t fix the overall problem with the writing.
Even Ganga’s efforts back home to free the fishermen lack clarity. The writing takes easy shortcuts to move the story along. The show makes Badri seem too generous in the end, suggesting he is kind enough to change an angry Pakistani cop.
The subplot, like one about Ganga’s brother who makes a mess of his life, doesn’t contribute significantly to the main plot. The jargon, issues specific to the fishermen community, are also not introduced organically; everything is over-simplified, and there’s hardly an emotional connection, despite the rootedness.
While it’s flawed, Arabia Kadali is filmed beautifully, with the camera work capturing the life on the coast and at sea very well. The idea of two rival village fishermen confined to a similar fate adds intrigue to the proceedings. The climax sequence, in particular, is impressive, helped by thought-provoking dialogues. Satyadev and Anandhi’s performances provide occasional respite.
Music and Other Departments?
N Vidyasagar’s music complements the story in its crucial junctures and gives considerable momentum to the narrative, but the weak writing limits its aftertaste. Seasoned cinematographer Sameer Reddy’s visuals are an asset to the show, capturing the raw beauty of the landscapes, the tension within four walls equally well. From an editing perspective, the narrative is far from seamless. While the dialogues are rooted, they’re not as flavourful as you expect them to be.
Highlights?
Satyadev and Anandhi’s performances
Sameer Reddy’s cinematography
Drawbacks?
Weak, clichéd writing
Mechanical storytelling
Poorly etched characters
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
Only if you haven’t watched Thandel or have a taste for survival dramas
Arabia Kadali Review by M9
